Unravel

Greg Ralls

To Unwell and Back

In his late 20s, Greg Ralls became mentally ill and experienced first-episode psychosis. He reported a suspected homicide to police and was straightjacketed and made an involuntary patient in a locked ward of Graylands Psychiatric Hospital.

This is the story of an ordinary Australian, a boy from rural Victoria who excelled academically, who as a young man earned double degrees with honours from The University of Melbourne before moving across the continent to Western Australia to work for a successful consulting engineering firm. Four years after moving his world fell apart: he was unwell, lost his job, and was admitted to hospital.

Readers are invited to share Greg’s journey, from childhood to his adult years when his life unravelled, and to recovery. He relates his experience with clarity and honesty, and his intelligence and positive attitude shine throughout.

‘A down-to-earth account that will help to demystify mental illness.’
- SAMANERA SANKAPPA, Bodhinyana Buddhist Monastery, Serpentine WA

"Greg Ralls has written a personal account of his journey through mental illness to recovery. His is an optimistic story, it demonstrates that people do recover from serious mental illness. It also shows how telling one’s personal story can be a powerful force for recovery in itself."
- ROD ASTBURY, Executive Director, The WA Association for Mental Health.

“‘Unravel’ is a brave and challenging book. Greg Ralls comes across as an ordinary bloke with an extraordinary story, which he shares in intimate detail. Anyone who wants a better understanding of mental illness would do well to dive into it. It’s scary – and rewarding.”
- PAUL MURRAY, 6PR morning presenter/columnist The West Australian.

“I taught Greg Ralls in the 1990s. His journey, this book, shows that
mental illness can strike anywhere, anytime – and can be cured.”
- IAN PLIMER, Emeritus Professor of Earth Sciences, The University of Melbourne.

 

About the Author

Greg Ralls lives in Perth, Western Australia. He is a Civil Engineer employed by a global consultancy firm servicing the mining industry. Greg has worked throughout Australia as well as in Southeast Asia, Europe and Africa. He is also a happily married father, and balances work and family commitments with passions for music, photography and videography.